Billed as the “Sale of the Stars” their graduates include seven modern day New Zealand Cup winners, thirty two Harness Jewels winners and thirty one Australasian Breeders Crown winners.

Unity under the PGG Wrightson organisation has been a major benefit to the sales. Especially in producing a top quality catalogue, funding a very successful inward buyer scheme and the $1 million Sales Race Series now in its 24th year.

Harnesslink is running a short series on some of the yearlings on offer.

Lot 31 Premier sale - FREEDOM FIGHTER

SIRE - Courage Under Fire was the best juvenile pacer to ever race in Australasia, winning his first 24 starts. He won six Derbies at three, a record that is unlikely to be matched let alone beaten. At stud he has done an outstanding job leaving such brilliant horses as Pembrook Benny ($839,232), Sleepy Tripp ($736,985), Lanercost ($506,102), Choise Achiever ($504,983) and Smolda ($461,307) to name just a few. They have that rare ability to excel at two and three yet go on to succeed as older horses on the Grand Circuit.

DAM - Rafiki (2:00.8) is a race winning daughter of New York Motoring who has lived up to her pedigree in the broodmare barn. She is already the dam of six winners including the very smart filly, Amboseli 1:58.7 ($71,645) and her full brother in Huey Hewitt ($71,000) as well as the recent Addington winner in Mashika 1:56.1. A race winning daughter in Tamarind has already left the talented mate Tamanisha (1;54.1) and Here's Shifty (4 NZ Wins). The grand-dam is the brilliant two year old of her year in Kisumu (1:57.4pl) who won the New Zealand Sires Stakes for fillies at two. At stud she has produced six winners including the standout filly of her year in Turkana (1:57.1) who won the Nevele R Fillies Final as well as the New Zealand and Queensland Oaks. The third dam Kinshasha left six winners and is a full sister to the champion broodmare, Sakuntala.

OVERVIEW - A smart looking type from a top producing mare, this colt is from the the top juvenile producing family in the New Zealand stud book. Made famous by the full sister to Kinshasha in Sakuntala, it continues to produce juveniles capable of winning the age group classics. This colt has all the attributes to follow in the foot steps of his illustrious relatives.

SIRE - Mach Three is one of the elite sires where ever he stands and continues to leave quality racehorses world wide. Getting close to $100,000,000 in earnings world wide, his stock can get up and run at two and still be flying at five on the Grand Circuit. His standout colts in New Zealand include the champion Auckland Reactor ($1,837,043), Magical Mach ($1,238,943), Mah Sish ($747,331) and Sir Lincoln ($650,229) to name just a few. With a percentage of winners to foals of close to 60%, he ticks every box as a sire.

DAM - The Actress (1:59.1) is a race winning daughter of Elsu from the top producing Soky's Atom broodmare Stage Talent who has left five winners from six foals to date, all in better than 2:00. Those winners include the very smart 3/4 sister to The Actor in Collectable (p2 1:58,2) who won three times at two on her way to winning $111,038, About Ambition (1:55.8) $88,478 and Slippery Mackenzie (1:57.3) $95,805. The third dam Stage Queen has left six winners including Dash For Cash (1:54) and her daughters have left such speedy types as Lucky Voodoo (1:54.4) and Estlers Light (1:54.3). She is a full sister to the brilliant Defoe (1:53) $423,272 and a half sister to the dam of Silver Lined Pocket (1:50.2) $307,838.

OVERVIEW - This Mach Three colt is a 3/4 brother to top two year old filly in Collectable from a race winning Elsu daughter of the top broodmare Stage Talent. Direct Scooter line stallions have always crossed well with this family with Silver Lined Pocket and the the brilliant filly Secret Potion ($285,000) just two by that sire line to excel that are close up in this colt's pedigree.

SIRE - Courage Under Fire was the best juvenile pacer to ever race in Australasia, winning his first 24 starts. He won six Derbies at three, a record that is unlikely to be matched let alone beaten. At stud he has done an outstanding job leaving such brilliant horses as Pembrook Benny ($839,232), Sleepy Tripp ($736,985), Lanercost ($506,102), Choise Achiever ($504,983) and Smolda ($461,307) to name just a few. They have that rare ability to excel at two and three yet go on to succeed as older horses on the Grand Circuit.

DAM - this is the third foal of Famous Lover who is a 1:56.1 daughter of boom broodmare sire, Dream Away. She won $30,743 in a brief career and is a half sister to four winners including the smart Flashbang (1:55). The first foal of Famous Lover is the speedy Santanna Blue Chip filly in Call Me Yours who ran second at her one New Zealand start before being exported to Australia. The grand-dam Susan Who ($33,075, 1:59.7f) has left four winners to date with two in 2:00. The third dam Socialite left three winners and her daughters and grand-daughters have left such smart types as At Your Service ($210,261), Greek to Me ($138,467) and Lionsixchristiansnil ($63,686). Socialite was a half to three outstanding pacers in Sassenach (12 wins) Stampede (11 wins) and Ryal (9 wins) who were all grand circuit level pacers.

OVERVIEW - A lovely colt from a 1:56.1 mare whose first foal Call Me Yours has looked smart in her brief career to date. This is the branch of the Edith family that produced three cup class pacers in Sassenach, Stampede and Ryal and this colt would seem well placed to add to the legacy of this family.